Safety razor blade honer



Aug. 1, c WOLF SAFETY RAZOR BLADE HONER Filed Sept. 24, 1930 mans/woe C/Zrezza: fl

Patented Aug. 1, 1933 PATENT OFFICE 1,920,491 SAFETY nazon BLADE noNEa Clarence Wolf, Philadelphia, Pa-.,

assignor to Wolf Edger Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a Corporation of Delaware Application September 24, 1930 Serial N0. 484,007

2 Claims.

In an application filed by me February 2, 1930, SerialNo. 430,148, I describe a flexible razor blade honer which comprises a body or frame having a honing face of smooth, hard material which has 5 a shape corresponding to the inside of a cylinder, the cutting edges of the blade contacting with the honing face when the blade is. so positioned thereon that its cutting edges extend longitudinally at right angles to the curvature of the face,

the blade being adapted, when so positioned, to be manually pressed toward the honing face and manually reciprocated laterally in respect to the direction of extension of the blade and in an armate direction in respect to the direction of extension of the curved face. A few reciprocations suffice to straighten or sharpen the edges of the blade so as to adapt the blade for re-use.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in said application, a ledge along one side of the curved face limits the longitudinal movement of the blade at right angles to the direction of the curved surface. Since, however, the direction of pressure is radial to the curvature of the sharpening face, the tendency of longitudinal 5 movement of the blade away from the ledge is as great as that toward the ledge, so that the successful functioning of the sharpener involves the exercise of some skill by way of exerting a pushing force toward the ledge supplemental to the force of radial compression. It is one of the objects of the invention to dispense with the need for the exercise of any appreciable degree of skill.

In the specific embodiment of the invention shown in said application, there are provided, at

opposite ends of the curved face, finger stops which overhang the end portions of such face. A honer provided wtih such finger stops involves difficulties and expense of manufacture, and it is another object of the invention to so differently construct the ends of the honer that this form of finger stop may be dispensed with without sacrifice of the utility of the honer.

The straightening or sharpening of safety razor blades is facilitated by moistening the blade with 5 water preparatory to the honing operation, and

in my improved honer provision is made for holding, in a practicable way, a small volume of water adjacent to the honing face.

The invention, in its preferred embodiment,

comprises other details which are hereinafter described and which are illustrated in the accom p anying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view partly in section.

Fig. 3 is an end view.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on a line extending through the center from frontgto. rear;

The honer comprises, preferably, an ffitegral body or frame of glass, steel, alloy steel, porcelain, or any other material (glass being distinctly preferred) adapted to provide a honing or stropping surface of smooth hard material. It is, however, necessary that only the honing surface shall be of such material, but simplicity of construction as well as economy of manufacture make it preferable to providean integral structure. Such structure comprises end walls a, a front wall I), a rear wall 0 and a honing face d of the cylindrical contour hereinbefore described.

The curved face 11, in the direction of its curvature, terminates somewhat short of the end walls a, and between the ends of the curved face it and the end walls a are fiat surfaces e. The end walls a extend above the level of these flat surface The rear wall c, throughout its length, extends above the level of the honing face d and its top edge is preferably parallel or concentric with the honing face 0, forming a ledge which is similar in its function to that disclosed in my 30 prior application.

The top curved edge of the front wall D is shown as flush with the honing surface, which is desirable, although unnecessary; and just within its edge, and parallel thereto,- is a groove f, which functions as a water receptacle.

An important feature of the improved honer is that the honing face (1, in its lateral direction of extension, that is, ina direction at right angles to the direction of curvature of the honing face, is appreciably inclined to the horizontal, downwardly from front to rear. In other words, the axis of the imaginary cylinder, of which the honing face is a section, is inclined downwardly and rearwardly at a small acute angle to a horizontal plane. It is found that, as a consequence of this slight tipping of the honing face, the blade being sharpened tends, although subjected only to a manual pressing and reciprocating movement, to slide rearward, the end of the blade being thus maintained in sliding contact with the rear ledge during the honing operation. There is no tendency of the blade to slip forward during the honing operation if the device is placed on a substantially level surface.

The bottom of the body or frame is preferably recessed to provide, between the walls, a bottom face extending parallel with the honing face. The outer walls of the frame are provided with grooves and ridges g, extending preferably verticaliy, to provide a roughened surface to enable the user to grasp the device without slippage of the fingers thereover.

It will be noted that the improved sharpener provides means for preventing the escape of water or other fluid which may be used during the sharpening operation which might splash out of the device. Specifically this is effected by a wall completely surrounding the body and provided by the end flanges band 0 and the edge flanges a extending above the ledges e. These ledges lie in a plane and serve to provide such spacing between the sharpening surface and the tops of the edge flanges a so that an accidental lateral movement of a blade beyond the edges of the sharpening surface will not result in its striking the edge flanges. Specifically this is provided by causing the upper ends of the edge flanges which extend above the ledges to lie below planes tangent to the surface at the edges thereof. Since the blade if it moves off the surface will extend in the direction of one of such tangent planes, destruction of the sharp razor edge by engagement with either edge flange is prevented. The axis of the cylinder forming the sharpening surface is inclined to the plane of the ledges. 1

Having now fully described my invention. what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A sharpener for flexible razor blades comprising a body having a sharpening surface in the form of a concave cylindrical segment, a flange along each end thereof, a ledge along each edge thereof, said ledges lying in a plane, and flanges extending above the ledges and having their upper ends below planes tangent to the surface at the edges thereof, said last named flanges meeting the end flanges thereby forming a wall completely surrounding the body, said body also having a narrow shallow groove along one end flange.

2. A sharpener for flexible razor blades comprising a body having a sharpening surface in the form of a concave cylindrical segment, a flange along each end thereof, a ledge along each edge thereof, said ledges lying in a plane, and flanges extending above the ledges and having their upper ends below planes tangent to the surface at the edges thereof, said last named flanges meeting the end flanges thereby forming a wall completely surrounding the body, said body also having a narrow shallow groove along one end flange, and the axis of the cylinder being inclined to the plane of the ledges.

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